The invention relates broadly to electrode assemblies which are designed for application to the human body as a component of an electrocardiograph apparatus and more specifically to a disposable radiotransparent electrode which can be used as a component of a radiotransparent electrode assembly.
In the X-ray examination of the heart during cardiac catheterization to detect disease, it is conventional to simultaneously record the electrical activity of the heart. This is presently done by attaching large metal electrodes to the arms and legs of the patient near the hands and feet. This attachment retricts movement by the patient. Another problem is that the arm and leg muscles generate electrical potentials that obscure the heart signal and movement of the arms and legs causing the electrodes to generate additional interfering voltages. These deficiencies are usually overcome in practice by mounting the electrodes directly on the chest but conventional electrodes currently being used interfere with and obscure important details in the X-ray image. Thus it can be seen that improved electrocardiographic (ECG) recordings during X-ray examination of the heart could be provided if electrodes were available that did not interfere with the X-ray image. Such electrodes when applied as close to the heart as possible provide a better signal to noise ratio and detect improved waveform details due to the higher current densities that exist in the cardiac area as compared to the limb regions.
Thus the present invention deals with ECG electrodes that are substantially invisible in X-ray images, have excellent electrical properties for electrocardiograph recording and do not interfere with fluoroscopic or X-ray procedures.